steamed green beans
Lately, I have been working in the garden in the mornings. I found that the sun is softer, and the areas needing work are shadier. Early this morning, I picked some green beans to serve with Monday’s Pepper Rasam. Later that morning, I returned to the garden and started pottering around, feeding the plants with […]
summer garden palya
I have been making this palya often. It is very simple, quick, and based on what is in the garden at the moment: a handful of beans, small cabbages, and a few small zucchinis. Feel free to change the vegetables to suit the season or availability. It is great served over rice, with avocado and […]
lasagna tart
This tart is a very decadent and comforting dish for a special occasion. It’s a bit rich on its own but goes well as part of the main meal, accompanied by a simple rice dish and various salads. The parmesan crust is divine, crunchy and flavourful. ~ sunkissed and content lasagna tart preparation time 40 […]
slow cooked zucchinis with basil
ZUCCHINI This year, I staggered my planting to have a continuous supply of zucchini throughout the summer, but I forgot how quickly they grow from seed to plant, and now I have an endless supply. When I think I have them under control, I venture out into the garden, and miraculously, another batch is ready […]
Jonathan’s Sunday night pasta sauce
For everyone who has joined us for pasta night! Sunday night is pasta night and it has become a regular tradition for us for years. We cook a lot of Indian food, so our children requested to have a “normal” non-Indian meal at least once a week! It all started as a special weekend dish […]
raw zucchini pasta with a creamy green garden dressing
This recipe was created last year for a series of raw dishes for Holmes Place; however, I never got around to posting it here. So here it is! Also included in this series of recipes: raw carrot slice summer gazpacho blackberry – acai popsicle golden honey passionfruit elixir strawberry raspberry goji smoothie artichoke with a […]
peach pie
This was another post sitting in my drafts just before I left for our Summer holiday, using those luxuriously delicious, rose-scented peaches from this tree. Perfectly ripe, with a few organic, nature-loved and blessed blemishes. I was reluctant to make this, as it seemed a shame to cook them, but there were so many. And, […]
broccoli palya
After being unable to make it to the garden for a while, I was overjoyed to find a blanket of these smaller stems of sprouting broccoli, which are masses of tight flower buds. Buds that, left unharvested, will open into nectar-heavy, yellow flowers, which the bees and butterflies love. If you catch them before the […]
nasturtiums – a tea, a pesto and a cure
NASTURTIUMS How I love this plant. The flowers were a favorite of the Victorians, and in the language of flowers, they symbolize patriotism and fatherly love. They are a visual delight, especially when my neglected garden looks somewhat sad. Nasturtiums gracefully fill in the bare spaces of a sparse garden, their abundant gift! Neglect is […]
hemp milk
Hemp is a quick plant-based milk to prepare because it doesn’t need to be soaked overnight, unlike almonds or oats. Drink it on its own, add a little sweetener or spice for a healthy pick-me-up, or sprinkle with chia seeds to create an incredible breakfast pudding. Hemp seeds (hulled hemp nuts) are a great source […]
tomato gojju
Over the last few days, I have been working in the garden under a slow-falling drizzle of rain, the gentlest winds and splashes of the warmest sunshine. Soaking up the rain, sun, and light, listening to the morning and evening chorus, and sipping warm tea on the garden bench. Enjoying seeing all those plants, seedlings […]
zucchini fritters with an avocado raita
This is where I am at the moment. It really is in these tiny wonders, the accidental joys, in all this surrounding beauty, reminding us to breathe, smile, and return to our true self. For that, I am thankful. zucchini fritters (without eggs) 15 – 18 fritters Zucchinis are funny plants. I wait and […]
borage
BORAGE Because I never tire of it. in life Borage supposedly has properties that give a feeling of euphoria, or what I would call happiness. It’s said to give courage, joy and heart to anyone who eats the flowers or makes tea from the leaves. Borage expels pensiveness and melancholy. Borage flowers in the house […]
turmeric flavoured millet, amaranth & seasonal vegetables
I thought I would share this simple but extremely quick and easy nutritious meal I have most mornings. You will appreciate how easily the body digests it. It is my first meal at around 10 or 11 o’clock, depending on when I feel the first signs of hunger. I love these one-pot meals, which use […]
chamomile
CHAMOMILE Calming, Healing, Co-operative, Inner Peace, Spiritual Awareness and Harmonising. The name of this magic herb comes from the Greek word for “ground apple” due to its scent, which resembles that of apples. The scent is said to keep out negative energy and to help bring understanding in confusion. “The aromatic component in Chamomile, stemming […]
green mung dal with Indian spices (revisited)
This post was originally published in June 2009 when we first started our blog. We both adore this dish, so we decided to update and repost it. Usually, I never know what I will cook until I venture into the garden and start picking, smelling, and just being present. Then, the excitement and inspiration start […]
green garden salad hummus
I spent the last couple of days transplanting tiny, green seedlings of fennel that had self-seeded from the summer blooms. Some were naturally dried, some saved, and some haphazardly sprinkled or wind-carried in all sorts of unusual places throughout the garden. This is what I LOVE about a garden left to self-seed. There is always […]
sprouted quinoa tabbouleh with lemon-zested chickpeas
How can I make use of all this abundance in my gracious garden? Mint, parsley, coriander, beans, zucchini, celery and cucumbers = tabbouleh With a few creative extras… benefits Sprouted quinoa gives a delicious, crunchy, nutty flavour. Quinoa is known as a grain, but it is actually a seed. It is an energy-rich food that […]
baked cauliflower slices and a vegetable garden in Portugal
When we moved to Portugal almost a year ago in the height of Summer from Israel and released two bewildered cats and a very dishevelled elderly dog into their new home, a new country and the beauty of this lush, green, cool climate with the potential of lots of overcast and raining days, it was […]
summer moon kichadi
I spent the late part of the day working in the garden under a big, white, round moon… Guaranteed to soothe unsettled hearts. SUMMER MOON KICHADI generously serves 3 ingredients ½ cup brown basmati rice ½ cup split moong dal 3 cups water ¼ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp ghee voggarane 2 tsp ghee 1 […]
tahini baked cauliflower with lemon & tomato
I arrived back from India, content and complete, with a heart full of beautiful and profound teachings from my teacher and the gentle presence of like-minded friends. I was excited to come home to see my garden. I arrived home in the early, early morning and walked out along the paths, the stones crunching under […]
